Kattappana: A temporary footbridge erected by villagers in Idukki was washed away in the gushing waters triggered by the ongoing monsoon rains. The bridge had been built as a stop-gap measure following the long delay in reconstructing an old dismantled bridge at the same location.

The Kuzhiyodippadi footbridge, located along the Kakkattukada–Thovarayar route, was swept away in the heavy flow of water. It spanned a canal that carries water from the Kattappanayaar to Anchuruli. With its collapse, over a hundred families in the area have been left in distress.

The original bridge at the site was dismantled about two and a half years ago. Following the intervention of the local MLA, ₹35 lakh had been sanctioned from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund to build a new bridge. But with the discovery of rock at a certain depth during the soil testing phase, the project cost was subjected to an upward revision.

Subsequently, local panchayat member Shaji Velamparambil facilitated an additional fund of  ₹13 lakh for the project. The old bridge was dismantled after the tender was finalised and the construction contract awarded.

However, when excavation began using an earthmover, it was found that the rock layer lay 5.5 feet deeper than initially assessed. As a result, the project cost estimate had to be revised again to ₹74 lakh. Though the District Panchayat allocated the additional amount, officials insisted on a redesign of the bridge to accommodate the new findings.

The redesign, however, pushed the estimate further up to ₹1 crore. Though ₹35 lakh was spent to complete the basements on both sides and partial construction of the pillars, the rest of the work came to a halt, citing a lack of sufficient funds.

With no alternate route available following the dismantling of the original bridge, local residents constructed a makeshift wooden footbridge to continue using the path. That temporary structure has now been washed away by the monsoon’s fury. With the destruction of this lone passage, residents are left with no choice but to take long detours spanning several kilometres to meet their daily needs.